In today's world, it is difficult to find a businessperson who does not do at least some of their business while on-the-go. While portable electronic devices enable a businessperson to do much of their business remotely, many professionals find that sometimes there is no substitute for working with paper. However, working with paper in remote locations can provide a number of challenges, particularly with regard to finding a suitable surface to place and manipulate these papers. Thus, the need for a device that allows a businessperson to work with papers in remote locations exists that can be carried with them exists.
Further, this type of device would be beneficial in schools with limited space. Ever since the “Baby Boomer” generation began to have children, schools have become more and more crowded, making space a premium in many locations. Definitionally, a portable desk apparatus must be able to be collapsed so that it takes up minimal space. Therefore, in schools where space is a premium, such a device could be used for students to write on during school hours, and then the device could be collapsed so that the space could be repurposed after-hours.
Examples of related art are described below:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,400 to Llanes discloses a desk and folding chair combination wherein the chair includes a seat, a back, support legs, and two arms, the arms are spaced generally parallel from one another and extend outwardly. This provides support for the attached desk, which is adjustably and pivotally connected to one of the arms. The desk, when in use, spans the extending arm portions and is swingable for access by a user to the seat. Further, an enlarged support base structure is provided to give stability to the support base structure extending beneath the desk so as to enlarge the zone of support beneath the desk.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,220 to Kaake discloses a sturdy, yet light-weight desk and chair combination. This desk and chair combination has a unified chair and desk support which allows the desk and chair combination to be folded into a thin, flat, compact package that requires only minimum of storage space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,602 to Williams discloses a collapsible desk and chair apparatus which includes a one piece desk member having two pairs of support legs which are pivotally connected to each other and to a seat unit which is pivotally connected to both a desk member and one of the pairs of support legs. The other pair of support legs are pivotally and moveably connected to the underside of the desk member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,093 to Williams discloses a collapsible desk and reinforced chair apparatus, which includes a one piece desk member that has support legs that are pivotally connected to each other and to a seat unit which is pivotally connected to a desk member. A seat reinforcement unit is also connected between the seat unit and one of the support legs. This device also contains a pair of telescoping sleeve elements, which rotate a latch cam element during the extension and retraction phases of the collapsible desk.
None of the art described above addresses all of the issues that the present invention does.
The need for an apparatus that provides for a storable and portable office space is clear. However, the prior art fails to provide for a system that enables a user to enjoy a complete office experience while traveling. A device that provided for this experience would provide a benefit to all manner of traveling businesspeople.